Reel construction



De- 18 1945 N; F-DOUR ET Al. 2,3914

I REEL CONSTRUCTION l Filed Dec. s, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 18', 1945.

N. F. DoUR ET AL REEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Deo. 8, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 18, 1945. N. FQDOUR ET AL REEL CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 8, 1941 Patented Dec. 18, 1.945 s v 1f; k

'o itrucls,4 andhas particular referencewtohaureel tion fthe ownoi electricity Vis likely to occur,

a pluralityfof vtransmissionwires; so that current adapted to be mounted upon the cab`porton of and moving contacts are kept clean and free of tho-truokothor inside or oufido theoaloo with dirt or. oarbortthoroby enabling tho Current to a vcablethereon which leadsto an outletbpx readily rilojgs througliqthese-connectionsr, ouitedrin isomej readilyac'oessilole pero 'of Ai1 otr 1er ans1 fo,rtoer obiootofoor invention is the body otheftruek, preferably the frotfpor-j the provision o; a blegreelso mountedY upon a sari "thereof: susnimsrsr sha me asesorssrsssl srsrssmsssson essie sion cables kept fairlyvtan'tL Withoiitrslack to com- 1:0 is retained int convenient and.u `workable conm-V pensate 'for the varying distances between the tion atyallktimeewitholitrany attentioncn-thepart tractor andthe trailerfy parts of the truck,fpar-g ofm an-operator,and which rwhenthe tractor is ticula'rly duringv the turning of corners'and when u rl 9llpled fl`omthe `body of the trailer, takes UP hacking' thetr'uokroay into voriousioaon'gja'r'rfo s the table and. ,rotainSin-oasy Poaliooio loo unloading platforms where/tile tractor' ptino'f 1:5; securedy in place wnenJt/he tractor is coupled to theftru'ck isapt tobe" at a considerable anele to: the'bodyofthetruck.` f H s y k 'Another 'andfurther-bject of the invention :These and lother objects` of our invention will is the provislron'of' an 'electrical trarisr'nrssibnj bemorcrullyend bottoruadcrstooerby reference cable freeladapted to: handlefa cablecontainin 26. tQhefQmHanymS :drawig 31mm Which- Figurergl is adiagrammatic view showingjourL isoorrrod rhrougnthe'oabloror nghrmgptrro var'- invention upon a; tractor WP@ of truck; olis lihtsfneedd on the truck bodmandiourited Fi.g!11op2 1S side oleafional View snowing the CFI 'orr'ft'he trucker suon monnerftht during opera'-VY housloaaad-1oolsmolloios therein;

-sag'for drop down in 'a loose' condition Vtd become s Another andl iurtherobject' of the invention 'isf nieuwe an oo dfoloyotionol View Withioo ond theV provision 'of La conductor reel Iwhich auto- 30 hU-DL;

matically'rewinds and takes up the slackf'of 'a Fllre 61S afnend We?? f the large end: O f'Pe cablel dueto any shortening of the distancefin hU- bzsilwxgll the two mounting points or the come, 'aindgnka FieoreFi oeolyowehowing meohonim f r wise auowsthe cable to run out or the rjoii'f arid. p rcwerlirlll @n. QYWmdPf @e .T2915- u whengths distance is increased, s uchf as occurs 35 Figure 8 is a verticallonl View 0n line 3 8 wherrthe tractor portionof thotruckjsjin1 une of. E lellrol; with the body thereof, 'as distmgmshed' from the' rieure 9 isan end elovatiooal view ofa portion position of thetru'ck 'When'the tractor portion is' 0f tho D afkglllg, h adapd r t0 bfi used turnedatjan angleto the body ofsthetrl'ick'; so with*OHIAIQPI'QYSQ ??PlaatlsL thatonce the cable is fastened in po'siti'onfuponl 40 Figure 1951s,arragmentaryview taken on line the truck it functions properly without any ate ll-1 0 Q. EiZ-legfShY/jng the braking mechs anismrfqrgetargingnthe speed lM the reel;4

the body` again or to. another body, as the case Figorel isalonaooioot sectional View' 'tliloilglfiY Eieure 1 1:isarrelerational viewof a: modied stanca the cable should become disco'unected.l s Fglue 12 iS Of Vthe housingA nouomglwithm which the reel-iomounted, and: zl Referring now- Speoiloally tothe drayineafa enoswmonproteotstho oomo'fromfpreokinom- Y in whichlikereferencecharaotoro refer touko .gf ovorwirrds. parts throughout@ 'tractor portion or o. trirk body. The shaft-3' thereon, this combination containing the motor,

the frame and the driving wheels common in trucks of this type. A truck body 22 is shown having a `front wall 23, and resting upon its concerned with the present invention. We prefer.;

to mount a housing 26 in any suitablemanner upon the rear Wall of the cab 2|, witl'"`adi`= tributor box 21 mounted on ,the f1jontyvallg1239;

2,391,141 if :if .f ...i

upon the bottom thereof. The block 55 has projecting edges 56, 56 thereon to which spring iingers `51, 51 are connected which extend upward therefrom, with support fingers 58, 58 mounted at the rear thereof, the ends of each of the ngers 51, 51 having contact blocks 59, 59 thereon, which engage the surface of the rings 48, 49, 50 and 5|, respectively, in a sliding or wiping contact. Connecting strips 6D are employed which connect theliingerfs togetherand form conductors from one Afinger 'to the opposite finger. A cable 6| leads to a battery or other suitable electric source, with conducting wires 62, 62 thereon which etre connected to the fingers 51 by means of screws the truck body. A cable 2K8 extends out of the..A housing 26 and to the distributor box 2,1 Ljrom which suitable conductor wisilea'id f lights on the truck body, such as the light.

the direction lights, `tail lights, and the like.

ing 26, with the-except Y of the cable which ext box 21 mounted at* on thel outer edft u member, secured ltoni H I operates with a ratchet member 4 4 fixed to=tlie= shaft by-key 45; Hspring-45iridrrnallyholdsthe ratchet members in engagelnntfwitli-eachother, the purpose of the hand-wheell'beig tti rtte the shaft 3| to keepfa-nd-pld'tleSpngdr the desiredV operative te'riisicr. 1 Y

Secured to the hub 32 by means of rifnieczn-Y ductor bars 41, 41 is apluralityof conductor-rings 48, 49, 5|! and 5I, these rings 'bei-ng in num-L ber to provide for four 'eetIcaly r'cuitswith four conductor Wires being ,i'liieli-ided the VAcable 28. A conductor lf'llrrllol '521s `S'e'oi'lrd 'at outer end to the rring 49 a d '@5i-tendssln-'gittielmV nally of the hub.- The ir'irnber "52 le'asfvvire secured thereto at its in'rier'nd` thefvire being one of the four which is carried by thefcl'f," it bei-ng understoodl tl'ttlie eblej-'Zf ftds through a hole 53 formedin the wal-Vo `-the member 34. The variuscoridiictrwires separated and secured to the cdeto'rsg-fch-fasu52 and 54. The conductores# isp-*secured at itsfouter end t0 the ring 5|. Sfli'far irlebfe tothe ringsv 49 and 50 id f cieitdftfthe other wires enclosed wthintlie ble 128i.. A-

of transmission throughgthgedge 56 of the block 55, and

kthrough which electric current is conducted into 'they conductorsA carried by the cable 28. The a pressure on the contact blockgi so that a wiping contact is maintained frthegenezerY rsfcqnsistref a star recesses-e3 ari-ehe die mit lim nich me pes'itien nie drawing rewards-the eperetien the! die@ 'les'. @Aleng'side igear 'tf1 'ratchet seeth during uriwiririgfefli feel,

tactorvporton '0f the truck being turned atan but; engaging theteeth during the rewinding operation, ,thus` :rotatingathe vshaft 7,68' and the disc v69"..11Upon-the Ltoo rapid rotationof thecreel the disc-is.drawmagainst the'r braking -memberv 15 through centrifugal force imparted to the weightedarms12therebyvchecking,thegspeed of rol-1 tation ,ofthe disc and the reel and preventing any;- damage to the winding mechanism or the breaking .loose of the various parts makingup thereel..l 5.

In Figures 11 to 13, inclusive, `we. have'illus-` trateda modified -formfpf housing for the reel, Figuresjlland 12 illustrating a housing capable of allowing the cable to move in a plurality of directions, while Figure 13 provides for universal movement and in Figure 14 the housing is mounted within the cab. Referring particularly to Figures 11 and 12, a U-bracket 8|) is provided to which a housing 8| is pivotally secured by means of studs at the bottom and top thereof, and upon which an extension 82 is provided through which the cable 28 extends. Electric connections 83, 83 contact upon a plate 84 through which suitable connections may be made, similar to those hereinabove described leading to the reel such as described in Figures 2 to 6 inclusive. An arm 85 is provided within which a pin 86 is positioned for endwise engagement with a spring 81 held under tension by means of a bolt 38, so that lateral movement of the housing 8| is provided, but a braking action is maintained between these elements to prevent loose swinging of the housing 8|. on its pivot. The housing 8|, however, is capable of turning laterally so as to set in proper alignment with the distributor box on the front of the truck body.

In Figure 13 is illustrated another form of housing for universal movement, and in which a stud 89 is mounted in the rear wall of the cab 2| and projects rearwardly therefrom. A bracket 99 is mounted upon the stud 89 for either fixed or radial movement having the housing 9| secured thereto by means ofl a trunnion 92 and a 91 and normally tend to keep the housingl 9| in its proper positiomwith an extension 98 directed toward the distributor box 21 vat the frontend of the truck.- If desiredas illustrated in Figure 14, a housing 99 may be mounted inside of the cab 2|4 with the cable 28 projecting rearwardly therefrom through an opening in the rear of the cab, so that the housing is protected from action 0f the weather.

The operation of the reel will be readily understood from the foregoing description, in that the source of electricalenergy is conducted to the reel through the conductors contained in the cable 6| to the members 51 through the fingers y58, contact member E0 and rings 48, 49, 50 and 5|, respectively, to the various conductor wires carried by the cable 29. The cable 28 projects rearwardly from its housing `mounted at the rear -side of the cab, where the end, with a suitable and easy electric fastening means, is secured inside of the distributor box mounted upon the forward end of the truck body. The cable, of

course, must be of suflicient length so that a body at all times, regardless of the relative position of these two parts of thetruck. Upon the angle, the, distance will, of course,beshortened and the cable will ,automatically be shortened upon the reel taking out all slack and keeping thev cable 4substantially taut. Thisk avoids the possi- If desired, mechanism shown in Figures l and 8 may be employed to prevent overwinding of the cable in either its reeling out or reeling in position, and also the wheel B3 may be so positioned that the vmovement of the reel in one direction may be limited by sliding the member 64 out and adjusting the wheel' 63 with relation to the number of turns the reel may take before it is prevented from further rotation by engagement of the tooth 642L on one of the surfaces 63|. Also,. the mechanism` shown in Figures 9 and 10 may be employed to slow the rotation of the reel should the cable break or become unintentionally disconnected from the distributor box 21.

While we have described more or less precisely the details of construction, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves thereto, as we contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a trailer truck, a housing on the tractor portion of the truck, a rewind reel in said housing having a hub portion rotatably mounted on a shaft and a spool portion, a cable on said spool portion having a plurality of vconductors therein, spring rewind means connected to said shaft and reel, a plurality of laterally spaced conductor ringson said hub portion of the reel, a conductor block, spring contact lingers on said block in frictional contact 'with the said'v rings, an electrical supply cable connected to said contact fingers on said conductor block, separate connectors electrically connecting each of said cable conductors to one of the said rings, means to adjust the tension of said spring rewind means, and braking means whereby the speed of rewind rotation of the reel is controlled upon the release of the cable.

2. In combination with a trailer truck, a housing on the tractor portion of the truck, a rewind reel in said housing having a hub portion and a spool portion' rotatably mounted on a shaft, a, cable on said spool portion having a plurality of conductorstherein, spring rewind means connected to said shaft and reel, a plurality of laterally spaced conductor rings on said hub portion of the reel, a conductor block, spring contact fingers on said block in frictional contact with the said rings, an electrical supply cable connected to said contact fingers on said conductor block, separate connectors electrically connecting each of said cable conductors to one 4 mesi-,1.41.

spring contact Afingers*A on safdfblock inV frictionatl Contact withA the .said rings, am electrical lsupply cable connected 'to Said' Contact fingers on said conduetor 'b1o'ck,-s'e`para;te conneetors electrically f connecting each `of said eablecenduetors to one of `setid rings, means to adjust the tension of said spring rewind means, a gear wheel on said: a rotatably motmted? shaft, a disc` on said shaft, a, gear' on said shaft 'in mesh with said first gear wheel, and a, governor on said shaft operable in one direction only.

NICHOLAS F. DQURA R. STENGER. 

